CLOUDED YELLOW PALE OR HELICE FORM

[Devon Dave]

Rainy days now so going over many hundreds of my photos taken this year. Back in August I was out on a local Coastal path after Clouded Yellows which return there every year. On this particular day there were just a few of the normal ones, looking like flying dusters with their distinctive dusty orange and black colour in flight, But one caught my eye which was extremely pale and very obviously different from the normal ones. It alighted on a flower right by me and I was able to get one clear photo of it after taking several. It took off in an instant and fluttered around briefly before disappearing into the distance never to be seen again. As mentioned it was very pale yellow even in flight more like a Brimstone colouration. I wonder if it might have been a Pale Clouded Yellow or a Helice form, any comments welcome.

[millerd]

That looks like a helice female Clouded Yellow to me, Dave. The amount of black on the upperside forewings (showing through) looks too extensive for any other species. There are probably other pointers that those more expert than me can identify as well.

That's a lovely view of the butterfly too!

Cheers,

Dave

[Devon Dave]

Many thanks indeed for that help Dave. It was definitely not a normal Clouded Yellow, I see loads of them each year along the costal paths. Because it was so Pale I thought it may have been C.Hyale as several have been report as possibly seen this year along the S.East coast.
But more likely to be a Helice for of course. Its a pity I could not get an open wing shot but that would be a miracle of course.
Keep up the good I.D work Dave and thanks again, Dave

[bugboy]

It's worth noting there's a few Clouded Yellow named abs. that are a kind of half way house between normal and helice in colouration. Here's an ab aubuissoni I came across (and I think spent and hour chasing around the site ) at Newhaven Tidemills back in 2015

[Devon Dave]

Thats most interesting information, thank you. I spent nearly an hour once trying to photograph a ab Marsh Frit so know how you felt with this one !

[Padfield]

I agree with Dave and Buggy. This is definitely a clouded yellow, but not necessarily helice, as there are other colour variants, named and unnamed. That said, helice can look very yellow beneath, even when it seems pure white above. I photographed this one, very similar to yours, in Málaga last year. In flight it looked entirely white:



Guy

[Devon Dave]

Most interesting, thank you for your thoughts. I just wish I had a shot with wings open but that's almost impossible when they settle of course. So we will have to wait until next year to see what wonders may turn up, unless we get a final Heat Wave !
Dave.